Birthday Lust List

This week I'll be celebrating my 24th birthday. It only seems five minutes ago that I was celebrating my 18th, so it is a little scary to think that I'm not technically in the mid-twenties age bracket. Nevertheless, I won't be acting my age- I've taken the day off to challenge Liam at the bowling lane followed by watching the new X Men film on the big screen. Proof I'm still a big kid at heart.

Remember the days when you would receive enough birthday money from various family members to make you feel like a junior millionaire? I used to love the trips to the shops to spend my birthday money on new clothes (leopard skin leather jacket...one of the most memorable and regrettable fashion decisions of my youth..), big bags of pick n' mix and endless supplies of stationery. These days, I don't receive many ten pound notes through the post. Definitely doesn't stop me making a birthday list, though...

I love this Initial necklace in Rose Gold from Etsy. I've always been a bit of a fan of anything with my name on it and this is a great alternative to a name necklace. I love the flattering shade of rose gold that looks great with any skin tone and the long chain means it'll look great with anything from a ditsy tea-dress to a smart shirt and blazer combo.

For anyone that reads my blog regularly, they'll know that over the last eighteen months, I've become a bit of a running fan. Whilst I love my old faithful Adidas trainers, I'm definitely ready for a change. These lovely Nike Lunarglide running shoes are just the ticket- brilliant technology, great stability and they come in this gorgeous shade of pink. Definitely an incentive to clock up the miles each week. 

Right now, I feel like I'm the only person in the world that hasn't seen Frozen. Just about everyone I know has been raving about it and I cannot wait to see what all the fuss is about. Liam and I have our very own Disney shelf at home (in chronological order, no less!) and this would be a great addition to it. Sounds like the perfect feelgood movie for a Sunday afternoon!

I'm grateful to be starting a brand new job in two weeks time! I am pretty excited as it is exactly what I want to do and is a massive step in the right direction. Lately, I've been clearing out my wardrobe in the hope it will soon be filled with new work clothes. Whilst the dress code is fairly smart casual, I'm looking forward to working in a creative industry where I can express myself a little more with what I'm wearing. Knowing me, this will mean a lot of smart printed dresses, Chelsea boots and brogues. I'm also loving this Pink crepe Knotch Blazer to smarten up simple outfits for work. This bold shade of pink will add a pop of colour to any outfit and will also look great with a floral dress for my friend's upcoming wedding in September. 

This perfume is a bit of an old favourite of mine. I was first bought Vera Wang Princess Perfume when I began seeing Liam over four years ago. Since then, I've made my way through the Vera Wang princess range but nothing matches the original. The scent has notes of waterlily, apple, mandarin, apricot, dark chocolate and vanilla and smells wonderful. I'm lucky enough to get a bottle of this for most birthdays and I just love it. 

A Long Way Down- Book review

I'm a big Aaron Paul fan. After being coerced into watching every single episode of Breaking Bad in a two month window, I became about as obsessed with the show as Walt did with producing crystal meth. Coupled with the addiction was a real liking for lovable rogue Jesse Pinkman, and so my love affair with Aaron Paul began. So when I heard that he was to be cast in a new film adapted from a Nick Hornby novel, I was excited. He plays a troubled musician contemplating suicide who meets four strangers as they prepare to hurl themselves from the roof of a skyscraper. So far, so happy. With a great cast comprising Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette, the tale is a bleakly comedic take on what it means to truly live.

Whilst I haven't made the time to go and see the film in the cinema, I did think it was a novel that might be right up my street. Told from the different perspectives of it's central characters, it explores the reasons why each individual might contemplate suicide and explores their relationships with one another. The characters themselves couldn't be more different- a disgraced TV presenter, angst-ridden teenager, middle-aged carer and failed musician. Bought together on a rooftop, the story begins.

Some characters were better than others. I found myself having sympathy for Maureen, a middle-aged carer for her disabled child. She seemed to be the only person who was a victim of circumstance rather than her own stupidity. As a character, Jess was quite grating. She was very one-dimensional- immature, spoilt and reckless with no responsibility for her own actions. Despite her troubled past, something that features heavily in the book, I found myself not warming to her at all.

The plot itself starts off well and there are some good attempts at dark comedy throughout. Sadly, the ending was quite predictable and a bit disappointing. Whilst it was a great read, it certainly wasn't the life-affirming book I'd imagined. Worth reading for the characterisation and witty writing but don't expect anything too spectacular.

The Sunday Review

Another bank holiday for us all! I'm a little excited this week as it is my birthday on Friday and I'm planning a huge Primark haul as well as bowling, watching the new X Men film and eating my own body-weight in pizza.

I have been listening to... Kiesza. I'm a little obsessed with Hideaway and now cannot wait until I can hear more of her album. If you haven't seen the video, check it out- it features Kiesza and her dancer friends in New York and is filmed entirely in one take. 

I have been reading...A Long Way Down. I've just finished the classic by Nick Hornby (you can read my review here) and I'm finally getting around to reading The Fault in Our Stars. I've heard so many good things about this book and after delving into the first chapter, I'm already hooked. 

I have been watching...The Great Gatsby. I feel like I've been waiting for years to finally watch the Baz Lurhmann version and last weekend, I finally settled down to watch it. It was much better than I anticipated. I really like the book and the film was very true to this, depicting the hedonistic jazz age in all it's glory. Leonardo Di Caprio was brilliant as the mysterious Gatsby whilst Tobey Macguire stole the show for me as Nick Carraway. Definitely a must-see.

I have been eating...Sweet potato. I'm a little bit sweet potato obsessed at the moment. Such a healthy and nutritious thing to add to your meals, I love having them baked in the oven or cut into potato chips and sprinkled with oil. Yum.

Les Miserables- Film Review

An avid musical fan, I was a little overexcited when it was announced that a film version of Les Miserables would be produced, with release for 2013. Having seen the show in the West End a number of years ago as an impressionable and sensitive fifteen year old, I was looking forward to seeing how Tom Hooper's version would pan out. Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed.

For those who aren't familiar with the story, it follows the life of a man called Jean Valjean in the midst of the French Revolution. After serving a number of years as a slave for stealing a loaf of bread, he is granted parole. Craving escape, he begins a life on the run and years later, appears again as the mayor of a small French town. It is here that he encounters young Fantine, played brilliantly by Anne Hathaway, a girl working at the local factory with an illegitimate child to support. Forced into prostitution, Valjean finds Fantine desperate, alone and dying. As she dies, he vows to take care of her child and begins another life on the run.

It is here that we are introduced to a whole host of characters at the heart of the French revolution. With talented newcomer Samantha Barks playing Eponine and Eddie Redmayne as young rebel Marius, the film becomes a dramatic portrayal of young people rebelling against the ideas that have been forced upon them. Combine this with themes of loss and love as well as a lot of singing, and well, you get the gist.

Overall, I was impressed with the production of the film. The cinematography is wonderful, especially when seen on the big screen, and the settings were chosen beautifully. Hugh Jackman was an unexpected surprise and gave a fantastic performance whilst Anne Hathaway's rendition of 'I Dreamed a dream' was enough to evoke emotion from even the hardest of hearts. Helena Bonham-Carter and Sacha-Baren-Cohen gave a little light-relief in their comical performance as the Thenardiers, generally playing to type and doing what they do best. The most disappointing casting of the film, however, was Amanda Seyfried as Cosette. Weak and girly, her performance was reminiscent of every other film she'd ever done- particularly Mama Mia! and left me feeling very disinterested in her as a character.

Les Miserables is definitely a film to catch whilst it is in the cinema. Whilst it perhaps isn't the best film for those with short attention spans (with a running time of two and a half hours long), it is an epic story backed by a wonderful cast and wonderful songs. I even went so far to purchase the soundtrack. If you're not a musical fan, do however, check out the 1998 film version of the same name, with Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean. Little known, but equally as fantastic.

The most wonderful season of all

This time of the year is my favourite. The anticipation of christmas, the burnt oranges and golds of autumn leaves, the cold in the air. Here are some of my favourite things about Autumn and Winter...

Starbucks christmas coffee. Fairisle knits. Berry nail colours. Being under a quilt when it is freezing. Getting stuck into a good book. Long hot baths on a Sunday. Cinnamon and apple spiced candles. Fireworks. Big fur hats. Wrapping christmas presents. Long winter walks. Christmas gift guides. Chelsea boots. Gingerbread. Crisp, cold and sunny mornings. Slipper boots. Hot chocolate. Thick socks. Mulled wine. Snow. A Christmas Carol. Chunky boyfriend cardigans. Running in the cold. Toasty log fires.

(L-R: Christmas spice candle, Models Own Thunder & Lightning nail polish, Starbucks Caramel Latte, Charles Dicken's Great Expectations, Autumn Leaves, Glitter roses from Liam.)

For celebrating the best of Autumn, head to these lovely little blogs.
Lauren Likes muses over the best in fashion and beauty this season (red lips and oxblood knits, anyone?) whilst Little Black Heart will make your mouth water with her scrumptious autumn delights. I love the look of her Caramel Macchiato cupcakes. What is your favourite thing about this season?

Looper

I wasn't too sure what to expect with Looper initially. However, with the trailer depicting it as a part action drama, part sci-fi thriller, I was looking forward to seeing if it would live up to the hype. It also didn't hurt that the lovely Joseph Gordon-Levitt featured.

The premise of the film is that in the year 2072, time travel has been invented but is so illegal, it is controlled only by a select group. Time travel is used as a way of erasing individuals from the future-transporting them to the past and using assassins known as loopers, to kill them and dispose of the bodies. Things get tricky when Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character) meets his future self who escapes from his grasp and creates problems along the way.

The film itself begins brilliantly, creating an imagined future world where lucky individuals possess telekinetic powers and time travel is controlled by a gangster-style mob. It becomes even more interesting when Emily Blunt's character is introduced- a young, fiery woman with a young boy who refuses to call her his mother. The secrets surrounding this relationship are part of the most enticing part of the film, although this is also where the film falls down.

The later half of the film is much less believable than the first and some of the scenes involving the little boy were superficial and badly directed, leaving the audience laughing at some of the dialogue. As the plot moves on, the continuity becomes fractured slightly which is off-putting.

All in all, however, a film that gives you a lot of food for thought and has enough twists and turns to keep you watching and guessing the ending. Very watchable, but perhaps not to be taken too seriously. Not the film of the year, but a good Saturday night action film.

Birthday cake

Although it only Thursday, this week has been nicely busy one already and with the jubilee long weekend coming up as well as seeing Coldplay tomorrow, I'm having a really lovely time at the moment. Yesterday was my 22nd birthday so I had a rather self-indulgent day shopping, reading in Starbucks and then eating Chinese with my family.

As the weather has been hotting up, I am desperate for some summer clothes so I headed to old favourite New Look for some affordable pieces I could wear in the sun. I found these high-waisted shorts as part of Kelly Brook's new summer collection, comfortable as well as very flattering. As well as these, I managed to grab myself this fail-safe floral sundress (my wardrobe is full of them) and a swallow print tee which I'm sure will serve me well for the Isle of Wight festival this summer. The best bargain, however, was this lovely red lace dress which was cut down from £26 to £12. I cannot wait to team it with a pair of black heels, leather jacket and envelope clutch for a night out in Lancaster. All in all, I spent around £50 on these pieces- a bit of a bargain I think you'll agree!

After feeling all shopped out, I headed to Starbucks for a half-price Frappuccino and to continue reading Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy which I am hooked on). After a lovely chinese meal with my family, we all headed home to watch The Apprentice. A very rock n' roll birthday, I know. As I'm not a big fan of birthday cake, my Dad had the sweet idea of purchasing some ice-cream instead. I've since opened the freezer to discover four whole tubs of Ben and Jerry's that I sense will probably last us for the next few months. I'll definitely have to be doing double sessions in the gym!

Of course, as well as a lovely day I got some equally lovely presents from friends and family. Pictured below are all the amazing gifts I got. I felt completely spoilt! Liam filled a gift bag with goodies, including DVDs, The Sex and the City box set, Eclectic Eccentricity jewelry and Vera Wang perfume as well as tickets to Coldplay and Matilda the musical and some money for driving lessons and buying new clothes (since my old clothes are getting too big for me now as well as a bit tatty.) My parents also gave me some money for new things as well as the lovely blue heart necklace in the photo.

All in all, it was a lovely day and very tame indeed- I seem to be all partied out nowadays. Proof I really am getting old.

(From L-R: DVD's of Sex and the city, The Help and One Day, EE Necklace (with meteorite attached to it!), EE seahorse earrings all from Liam, Accesorize diamante cherry necklace from Lauren, River Island gold tape measure necklace from Laura, Blue heart necklace from my parents, Green 'Do not publish' notebook from Rachel with Waterstones voucher, Tickets for Coldplay and Matilda the musical from Liam, Handmade bunting from Laura, My starbucks birthday treat to myself, Vera Wang perfume from Liam.)

Drive

I'm usually quite stubborn when it comes to films I am willing to watch. This frustrates Liam immensely, particularly because I generally don't have a 'type' I stick to. I have a handful of favourite films that I am able to watch more than once. These are- Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Shawshank Redemption, Shutter Island, Atonement, Matilda and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

So, although I am picky when it comes to choosing what to watch- if you've got something written by Stephen King set in the first world war on a creepy island which features a Hugh Grant figure circa 1992, a child that has magic powers and a flying car, I'm sold. Funnily enough, these films are hard to come by. Which is why as a general rule, I tend to go with what I think I'll enjoy. If the film is a post-modern view of the 1960's, it gets a thumbs up. If it has Richard Curtis as a writer, it gets a double thumbs up. If it features Jennifer Aniston in the role of a giggly blonde with an inability to fall in love, I avoid it like the plague.

So, when I was faced with Drive- the 2011 film directed by a danish director I couldn't dare pronounce (and also not set in the 1960s or starring Hugh Grant), I instantly wondered if it was something that would appeal. Whilst I was sure that a film about cars wouldn't be my new favourite thing to watch, I was intrigued to see why the film had such good reviews whilst also curious to see whether Ryan Gosling really deserved the title of sexiest man alive.

For anyone who hasn't seen Drive, it features Gosling as a Hollywood stunt driver who also doubles as a get away driver. He seems nice enough, and when he meets Carey Mulligan's character Irene, it seems apparent that there might be romance on the cards. Never mind the fact that she has a husband currently serving a jail sentence. We'll forget about that bit and focus on the longing looks they're exchanging at the supermarket. So far, so lovely. Until the husband is released from prison and all hell breaks loose. Not because Gosling clearly has eyes for his wife and he wants to gauge his eyes out, but because he owes a considerable amount of money to a pretty lethal gangster. Stupidly (and slightly heroically too), Gosling decides to help him and offers his services as a get a way driver to assist him in robbing a pawn shop. Enter Christina Hendricks- looking quite shabby indeed. Playing the role of gangster's moll, she has replaced her Mad Men curve skimming dresses with frayed jeans and an attitude problem. Still, her worst fashion moment of the film is yet to come- when minutes later she is faced with a shot gun to the head, splaying blood all over the motel room. I don't want to spoil the rest of the film for anyone who hasn't seen it, but as you can imagine- it becomes increasingly brutal to the end. What begins as a light-hearted romance reminiscent of an old 1980's film becomes a bit of a blood bath and not the film you'd want to be sitting down to with the kids. 

Still, I actually enjoyed it. The cool mysterious allure of the Gosling's 'driver', Carey Mulligan's big doe eyes and a brilliant performance from Albert Brooks really makes this film a good watch. Combine this with a distinctly retro feel and a heavenly soundtrack to match, and you've got the perfect Saturday night film. Oh, and whilst I don't think Ryan Gosling is the sexiest man alive, I would still love to borrow his satin bomber jacket. 

The Hunger Games

As always, another busy week. Last week, among the usual gym sessions and driving lessons, I managed to fit in a date night with Liam. Starting off with a (ridiculously indulgent) meal at TGI Fridays, we went on to see the most talked-about film of the moment, The Hunger Games.

If I was one to believe what I read, it was apparent that The Hunger Games was a film targeted mainly at angst- ridden teenagers and the film itself had even been brandished with the label 'the new Twilight.' This description very nearly put me off- mainly due to my hatred of anything Twilight based.  It was only after reading this article in The Daily Mail that I realised I wouldn't be seeing a children's film and that perhaps it really was as gritty as the trailer had promised.

Frankly, I wasn't disappointed. My favourite thing about The Hunger Games? Katniss Everdeen. Surely there is nothing better than a powerful female heroine- and Katniss, played brilliantly by Jennifer Lawrence, had attitude in bucket loads. I found the premise of the film very interesting. Set in a post-apocalyptic future, it explored the possibility of what could happen in society if it was allowed to decline. The fictional nation of Panem, comprised of the wealthy capitol and the surrounding twelve districts, is an eerie and disturbing new world. As punishment for a rebellion against the government, the capitol has initiated The Hunger Games- a televised event in which two young people- a boy and girl- compete to fight to the death in an arena until there is one remaining victor. So far, so violent.

The film follows Katniss as she fights in the Hunger Games- running around in tight black lycra and making brooding stares at the camera. Tortured with fire, killer bees and the threat of the other contestants- Katniss is followed as she struggles to stay alive- whilst managing to keep her hair and make-up unrealistically perfect throughout. It's safe to say that my fourteen year old self was resurfacing the more I watched.

In many ways, The Hunger Games is just a very enjoyable futuristic adventure- and enjoy it I certainly did. For me, there was something reminiscent of dark and gritty television dramas, such as Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror and Liam was sure it reminded him of films from the 1980's- perhaps the camp outfits and over-dramatic performances weren't dissimilar to the old Tim Burton films. There have been good and bad reviews of The Hunger Games- and there seems to be a general consensus that it simply wasn't as good as anticipated. My opinion? It isn't very often I watch a film lasting nearly two and a half hours without looking at a clock. This one kept me captivated, entertained and longing for more- and I didn't check my watch once.